


Akito and Estelle in The Lorax

by PerkyGoth14



Category: The Lorax (2012)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-12-14 20:52:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11791248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerkyGoth14/pseuds/PerkyGoth14
Summary: While visiting Aunt Gloriosa and Uncle Timber, the Fudo siblings and Felicity decide to find a book for their aunt and uncle to read for them and they come across Mo's favorite childhood book known as The Lorax. When the siblings decide to read to their nieces and nephews, they end up in the book like when Vincent met Winnie the Pooh and end up in Thneedville. Will they get out?





	1. Chapter 1

Akito, Estelle, Vincent, and Felicity were visiting Aunt Gloriosa and Uncle Timber since their parents were busy, though importantly, Atticus and Mo were having a second honeymoon together and decided to have a romantic weekend and Barbie was busy with her family which meant that they wouldn't see Kelly, but they would still have each other. Larvitar, Teddy, Vulpix, and Mismagius were with them though as well as Scruffy, Dot, and Snow White. They were in an old room which had some of their aunt and uncle's old books and they were trying to find one to discover and read together.

"Wow, look at this place!" Akito smiled at the book collection in awe.

"There must be interesting reads around here somewhere," Vincent said before holding out his cat. "Girl, go see if you can find one."

Snow White yawned and stretched before hopping over the shelves of books. "If I must..." she then said to herself. "Hmm... Watership Down?"

"Nah." Scruffy shook his head.

Snow White jumped to the next shelf. "Marley & Me?"

"No, try something fun for all ages." Felicity suggested.

"Hmm..." Snow White hummed before going to the Dr. Seuss section. "Hey, how's about The Lorax? I heard that was Mo's favorite."

"Perfect." Dot smiled.

Snow White then whipped the book down with her tail before curling up into a ball.

Felicity yelped as she then dove in and saved the book on a pillow with a relieved smile. "Thank goodness." The accident prone girl sighed in relief.

The Fudo siblings and Felicity looked at the Lorax book with their pets and Pokemon.

"This seems interesting." Vincent said.

The kids then went to see their aunt and uncle in the other room.

"Which do you think she'll like better?" Timber asked his sister as he took out two different engagement rings with unique gems on them. "Lapis lazuli or kyanite?"

"Hmm... Kyanite." Gloriosa smiled.

Timber looked at both rings and agreed with the darker blue. "This one matches her hair anyway."

Gloriosa nodded with a giggle to her brother's agreement on her decision.

"I really hope she says yes." Timber said.

"I'm sure she will," Gloriosa winked. "You got this~"

Timber smiled back. The kids then came to see their aunt and uncle.

"What's up, kids?" Gloriosa smiled as Timber smiled nervously and hid his ring from them as he wanted it to be a surprise.

"We found a book!" Akito and Estelle announced as they held The Lorax.

"Oh, The Lorax," Gloriosa smiled. "This was your mother's favorite."

"Yeah, she loved reading that one to JJ and Rosie." Timber chuckled in memory of when their other uncle was in Kindergarten with his girlfriend.

Vincent's medallion that he's had ever since his first time with Winnie the Pooh began to glow. He the held onto it as he looked to his maternal aunt and uncle from his mother's biological family.

"Shall we read it?" Felicity asked.

"Well, I see nothing wrong with that." Gloriosa smiled to her nieces and nephews.

"I think we're going to be apart of the story." Vincent said.

Felicity, Akito, and Estelle looked to him in wide wonder as the adults got ready.

"Uncle Timber, what's that ring for?" Estelle asked.

"Uh, nothing?" Timber smiled nervously and put the ring behind his back which just made the kids smirk with their pets and Pokemon.

"It wouldn't happen to be an engagement ring, would it?" Estelle smirked.

Timber sighed while blushing. "Well... Yeah... I'm gonna ask.. Erm... 'Aunt Sci-Twi' to marry me."

"Dad told us about how you fell in love at first sight with her at Camp Everfree." Vincent smirked as his medallion glowed.

"And he was right." Timber said.

The kids giggled as Gloriosa took out the book and sat on the couch which made the kids sit down.

"Are you gonna tell us a story, Aunt Gloriosa?" Estelle asked. "That's what Barbie always does for us and Kelly."

"I sure am." Gloriosa smiled before wincing as the medallion got brighter.

"Oh, that light!" Felicity grunted. "C'est trop clair!"

"What?" The others asked.

"It's too bright." Mismagius translated.

"Make it stop!" Snow White and Vulpix begged Vincent.

"I-I can't!" Vincent told them.

The light soon engulfed them and transported them all into the story.

"Oh, dear, they've exploded!" Gloriosa gasped.

"Atticus is going to kill us..." Timber panicked. "Well, he'll beat me to a coma and Mo will probably get hysterical!"

The light from before soon shined from the book. The siblings took the book and opened it to see if it could tell them what happened to the kids, and where they saw their nieces and nephews with their pets and Pokemon appearing in the story.

"Uh, Gloriosa, what happened?" Timber nervously asked his sister.

"I'm pretty sure this was done by some sort of magic," Gloriosa replied. "At least the kids are all right and so are their pets and Pokemon."

"That is good," Timber looked relieved with her. "But what do we do and how do we get them out?"

"Hmm... I'm pretty sure if we read this story to the very end, they'll be transported out of the book." Gloriosa said.

"I hope so." Timber sighed.

Gloriosa cleared her throat and began to read the book aloud. "'We open in Thneedville, a city they say with all plastic and fake and they liked it that way'," she began to narrate the opening prologue. "'A town without nature, not one living tree. So what happened to them? Cue the music, let's see'!"

The kids soon appeared with their pets and Pokemon into the world called Thneedville and a new alien robot-like Pokemon was hiding in the background as the town was waking up like Belle in her tiny and quiet village.

"So weird." Felicity said.

"Anyone else feel like they're being watched?" Vulpix asked.

Larvitar then dashed ahead with Scruffy to find out who was watching them and the new Pokemon attempted to hide away. "Who are you?" He soon asked the new Pokemon.

"I am Deoxys." The Pokemon replied.

"What kind of Pokemon are you?" Larvitar asked.

"I'm a Psychic Type." Deoxys replied.

Mismagius, Vulpix, and Teddy soon joined Larvitar to meet the new Pokemon.

"Where do you come from?" Larvitar asked.

"That is an interesting story..." Deoxys said before running off.

"Hey, get back here!" Larvitar glared as he chased after the odd Pokemon with his 'cousins'.

The pets soon went after them as their owners looked all around Thneedville and it was unlike any other town they had ever seen and nothing seemed to be real and there was even air sold in bottles like water bottles and the trees were plastic and filled with batteries.

"This city has to be fake, right?" Estelle asked her brothers and cousin.

"Sure feels like it..." Felicity replied as she poked a bush which felt more like bubble wrap.

"Why did my medallion send us here?" Vincent asked.

"The same reason you were sent to the Hundred Acre Wood?" Akito teased since he knew Vincent didn't like Winnie the Pooh until their other aunt and uncle read them that story about the search for Christopher Robin.

"Hmm... Maybe we're supposed to help these people learn something." Estelle said.

A little boy came out of a lake before he seemed to glow green which made the others wince slightly nervously for him, though he didn't seem to be hurt. Despite the lack of actual nature, the people seemed happy, though Felicity and her cousins didn't have the same mutual feeling, and where they started to look for someone they were supposed to meet. The townspeople soon came to a stop as their mayor came. The others looked with them to see a rather short man who was in charge of things known as O'Hare.

"How did that guy become mayor?" Vincent whispered.

"I don't like that man." Felicity looked annoyed and disgusted.

"Me neither." Akito and Estelle agreed in unison as usual.

A preteen boy seemed to be going to a certain house with a model airplane.

"WAH!" Vincent cried out as his medallion began to float and pull him to the preteen.

"Vincent, come back!" Felicity called out as she went after the boy.

Akito and Estelle shrugged to each other and followed suit. The Pokemon and pets continued to go after Deoxys who was going to the same house the preteen boy was going to.


	2. Chapter 2

The boy took out a toy airplane and began to fly it in the house's backyard. Once it landed, he soon cheered about that and rang the house's doorbell in excitement and anticipation, and where the door soon opened. 

There appeared to be an older girl at the door. "Oh, hi, Ted."

The preteen boy smirked before shaking his head. "Audrey, hi."

"Did your ball land in my backyard again?" The girl asked.

"What? No," Ted replied. "A model airplane this time."

"Oh, my." Audrey said as she soon saw Deoxys and thought it was being chased.

Ted looked over to see the strange Pokemon being chased by the other Pokemon and the pets. The kids then called out for their Pokemon and pets which made them come to them and leave the Deoxys alone for now. Deoxys soon came over to Audrey.

"Oh, hi, there, little guy~" Audrey cooed and pet the strange Pokemon.

Deoxys smiled as he seemed to like this girl a lot.

"Hey, do you guys wanna see something cool?" Audrey invited Ted and the others.

"Sure." Estelle smiled.

"Come on." Audrey smiled back and led them inside her home.

Before the preteen boy followed them, he sprayed his breath and soon joined them. Audrey then covered his eyes and had the others close their eyes for now as she led them somewhere she was very proud of.

"Are we there yet?" Akito asked with his eyes closed.

"Almost." Audrey promised.

Felicity giggled as this reminded her of her mother's story about how Adam gave Belle the library in the castle for Christmas while he gave Cherry the study to write her very own stories in like the one about the castle.

"Okay." Audrey then said and uncovered Ted's eyes so they could see what she wanted them to see.

Akito and the others soon opened their eyes.

Ted looked up and gasped. It was a mural of trees with purple, pink, orange and magenta pompoms.

"Wow!" The kids spoke up in surprise and amazement.

"I love these colors," Vincent approved as the artist side of him flared out. "Did you paint this, Audrey?"

"Do you guys like it?" Audrey asked.

"We love it," Estelle smiled. "It looks so real."

"This is amazing!" Ted beamed in agreement. "What are those?"

"Those are trees!" Audrey grinned.

"Trees?" Akito asked in surprise.

"Yeah, real ones!" Audrey smiled. "They used to grow around here, and people said, that the touch of their tuffs were softer than anything, even silk and they smelt like butterfly milk."

"But then, why aren't they here?" Felicity asked.

"No one knows," Audrey replied. "My parents told me about how trees, and grass, and everything was real once long ago though. What I want more than anything in the whole world is to see a real living tree growing in my backyard." 

"So, if, say, I'm just thinking out loud here... If a guy somehow, got you one...." Ted spoke up shyly.

"Why, I'd probably marry him on the spot," Audrey smiled before realizing what she said even if it made Ted's day since he seemed to have a crush on her from what Felicity and Estelle could see. "I bet that sounds crazy, does it sound crazy?"

"No." Estelle said.

"Not crazy, not crazy at all." Ted told the redheaded girl nervously. 

They stared up at the sky and Ted felt inspired to get a tree for Audrey, though he just had to wonder how he would do it. The others wondered how they would find a tree.

Later on, Ted was getting himself back home. Audrey told Deoxys he could go home, though he seemed attached to her, so she decided to let him stay with her.

"There must be a way outside of this city." Akito said.

"Hmm..." Estelle pondered, she soon tried to use magic to send them back home, but it didn't work.

Akito looked to her and soon combined his magic with her only for it to cancel out and they were still in Thneedville.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" Akito and Estelle complained about being stuck here.

"I'm sorry, but you can't go home just yet." A female voice told the kids.

"Who said that?" Felicity asked as she looked with her cousins.

The pets and Pokemon looked with them.

"Mother, is that you?" Snow White suddenly woke up in alarm, though settled down. "Sorry... Dreaming."

Soon, a bright light showed up. Everyone flinched from the bright light especially since it was becoming night time in Thneedville and many people were indoors, about to go to bed or eat their dinner, and where they soon saw that it was a certain alicorn princess from Equestria.

"Princess Mi Amore Cadenza?" The kids replied, remembering the young alicorn princess's title even though she was technically family now due to being married to Shining Armor.

"I can already tell your parents have told you about me, so please, call me Aunt Cadence since we're sort of like family." Cadence smiled.

"Oh, sorry..." Vincent smiled back bashfully.

"Aunt Cadence!" The kids then tried again.

"That's much better." Cadence smiled to them.

"So, what do you mean by we can't go home just yet?" Felicity asked.

"I'm afraid you're all on an assignment," Cadence replied. "Vincent, I'm sure you're familiar with this."

"Yeah," Vincent replied. "This happened to me before and I ended up in the Hundred Acre Wood by myself."

"So, why are all of us here?" Estelle asked.

"And here I thought you all would like to be in the world of literature," Cadence giggled. "Also, Aunt Celestia and Aunt Luna have told me about a loose Pokemon in here who will be the key to your next adventure with your friends such as the Ketchum siblings."

"Wait, would it happen to be a Pokemon that kind looks like it could be from outer space?" Akito asked.

"That would be Deoxys, yes." Cadence nodded in confirmation.

"We found it." Akito said.

"That's great, but you must bring it back with you when your journey is over." Cadence replied.

"Okay, Aunt Cadence." The kids told the younger alicorn princess who was the youngest one until her daughter was born.

"You must also follow Ted as he finds out about the one called The Once-Ler." Cadence told them.

"Okay." Estelle said.

"Where do we find this boy Ted though?" Vincent asked.

"The Wiggins reside around there." Cadence pointed to where a scooter was going and it had the preteen boy on it.

"So, just follow him?" Estelle asked.

"Yes," Cadence replied. "Gain his trust, especially his grandmother's, she knows all about the Once-Ler."

"You got it, Aunt Cadence." Akito promised.

"I knew I could count on you all," Cadence smiled back to her foster nieces and nephews. "One more thing..."

"Yes?" The kids replied.

"Do you like my mane?" Cadence asked as she showed braids in her mane. "I just got it done."

"It's beautiful." Estelle smiled.

"It really suits you." Felicity added with a smile herself.

"Oh, thank you," Cadence smiled back to them. "I have a date night with Shining Armor, Flash and Twilight are gonna watch over Flurry for us."

"Cool." Akito smiled.

"Have fun, you kids." Cadence smiled back before disappearing.

"Bye, Aunt Cadence!" The kids called out and waved.

The kids and their Pokemon soon followed Ted to where he lived.

"Have a good day, sweetheart?" Mrs. Wiggins asked her son.

"Yeah, Mom." Ted replied as his mind was clearly elsewhere.

There was soon a ring of the door bell.

"Huh?" Mrs. Wiggins blinked before getting the door. "Mom, are your Tea Party friends here again?!"

"No, dear!" An old woman's voice giggled innocently.

The lady of the house soon saw the kids that we all know and love. "Oh... Ted, you have friends over," The woman said to her son much to his confusion. "I told you, if you're gonna have friends over, let me know so I can make enough dinner for everybody."

"Um, we kind of don't have a place to stay, ma'am." Estelle said.

"Oh!" Mrs. Wiggins blinked. "Um... I guess I'll see what I can do about that... Come inside..."

The kids then came with their pets and Pokemon.

"Huh... Thought I've seen and heard everything from my mother's old stories." Mrs. Wiggins commented as she saw the Pokemon.

"Oh, this is your first time seeing real Pokemon?" Vincent asked.

"I guess it is." Mrs. Wiggins replied, trying to settle herself down. 

Vulpix, Mismagius, Teddy, and Larvitar came to the woman to see her up close since they just met her.

"Um, h-hello." Mrs. Wiggins greeted the pocket monsters.

The Pokemon smiled to reassure the woman that they were friendly.

"Come on in, I suppose," Mrs. Wiggins smiled nervously as she helped them inside. "Dinner's almost ready."

"It's better than it looks." Mrs. Wiggins' mother giggled teasingly about her daughter's food.

"I'm sure it's delicious." Estelle said.

For dinner, everyone seemed to be served gelatin shaped like other foods such as broccoli. Since there were no real plants, almost no real food could be made such as actual grown vegetables.

"Please use magic." Felicity begged Estelle and Akito.

Akito and Estelle looked around and soon began to secretly use their magic.

"Ted, honey, don't play with your food," Mrs. Wiggins told her son before glaring to her mother. "You too, Mom."

Ted's grandmother was playfully bouncing her jello on her plate before she licked it up in the air and caught it in her mouth.

"Can she blame them?" Larvitar asked.

"So, Mom...." Ted began. "Do you happen to know if there's any place where I can get a real tree?"

Mrs. Wiggins and Ted's grandmother's eyes widened.

"Ted, we already have a tree," Mrs. Wiggins replied and soon, the food was made normal and healthy without her noticing as she pointed out the window to show an artificial tree in their yard. "It's the latest model."

"He means a real tree," Estelle defended. "Not a fake tree."

"Really?" Mrs. Wiggins asked in surprise and disgust. "You'd rather have some dirty, messy, lump of wood that sticks out of the ground and does, what? I don't even know what it does. What's it's purpose? Look at we got: It's the Oakamatic!" she then took out a remote to show what the tree could do with lights. "The only tree with its own remote. Summer, autumn, winter, and... Disco!" she then danced to the 70's music playing from the tree which embarrassed her son.

"But nature is amazing." Akito said.

"Yeah," Ted agreed. "So, let's just say I need a tree. Where do I go? What do I do?"

"Oh, then you know what?" Ted's grandmother spoke up. "You need to find the Once-Ler."

"And where do we find the Once-Ler?" Vincent asked.

"Mom, it's not really the time for one of your magical fables, okay?" Mrs. Wiggins said to her mother.

"Oh, that's right, I forgot," Ted's grandmother replied as she didn't have her glasses on. "I'm old and I can't even remember to put my glasses on."

The Pokemon liked Ted's grandmother already.

"But most magical creatures and magical people can be real." Felicity said.

"Oh, but really, I forgot my glasses," Ted's grandmother said before smiling sweetly to her daughter. "Would you mind being a dear and go get them for me?"

"Sure, Mom." Mrs. Wiggins replied in slight annoyance before leaving the room.

"Nice distraction." Akito smiled.

"Thanks," Ted's grandmother replied as she put her glasses on to reveal that she had always had them. "Okay, here's the deal: The Once-Ler is the one who knows what happened to the trees. You want one, you need to find him."

"The Once-Ler?" Ted blinked. "Grandma, is this real?"

"Please tell us that this is real." Estelle said.

"Oh, he's real all right." Ted's grandmother replied knowingly.

"Where can we find him?" Ted asked before feeling a tap on his shoulder which startled him.

Ted's grandmother chuckled as she suddenly came behind him and clapped her hands, making the lights go out and soon told her grandson and the others about the one known as the Once-Ler. "Far outside of town where the grass never grows, And the wind smells soiled and sour when it blows, And no birds ever sing... Except old crows."

"Yikes." Akito said.

"Quit doing that." Ted begged his grandmother.

"That's the place where The Once-Ler lives." Ted's grandmother pointed to outside of town which was forbidden.

"What?" Ted asked in shock. "Outside of town?"

"Awesome!" The Fudo siblings cheered.

"And people said if you bring him 15¢, a nail and the shell of a great-great-great grandfather snail, he'll tell you everything." Ted's grandmother told her grandson and his new friends.

"Where do we find those?" Felicity asked.

"Come with me." Ted replied as he brought them into his room.

Ted's grandmother smiled to this before holding Snow White and cuddled with her. "Oh, what a pretty kitty you are~" she cooed. "Kitty Kitty Coochums!"

"Oh, why, cruel fate?" Snow White groaned.

Scruffy and Dot just snickered to this.

"Um, ma'am, can I have my cat back?" Vincent asked.

"Oh, she's just so precious." Ted's grandmother kissed the cat before holding her out to Vincent. 

Snow White latched into Vincent while shivering with her fur standing on end.

"She can feel the love." Vincent smirked playfully to his cat.

Snow White narrowed her eyes up at Vincent in annoyance.


	3. Chapter 3

Ted soon had the things his grandmother told him to get and soon went on his scooter to go find the Once-Ler and head out of town despite Mayor O'Hare making people never leave town, and where the others would join him. The Pokemon and pets kept up with their owners/trainers. They then found a trail and a 'Vent Out' on the way out of town and came to a door for restricted personnel only. 

"Oh, well, I guess we have to turn back now." Felicity said nervously.

"Oh, no, we don't." Akito replied.

Felicity pouted in slight misfortune. Akito pushed a button which then made a gray bar come out which startled Ted at first, but soon came out more and more bars which led up to a door to become like stairs.

"Cool." Estelle said.

"Come on then." Akito said without fear as he went to the stairs that led up to the Once-Ler.

The others soon followed him. They kept going and going in secret. They passed several signs which told them to turn back.

"I hate signs like these." Estelle said.

"Just ignore them, Sis." Akito replied as he bravely went forward.

They soon came to a gate which showed a spooky house on the inside.

"Oh, it's like Gomez and Morticia's house." Felicity commented.

"No kidding." Vincent said.

"I'm getting chills all over my fur and I like it!" Scruffy grinned.

"Oh, brother." Dot muttered.

Snow White began to turn the other way.

"Oh, no, you don't." Vincent said as he picked up his cat.

"This isn't fair!" Snow White complained.

"Oh, come on," Vincent said. "Everything will be fine."

Snow White frowned.

"Hey, cool!" Akito laughed as he found a wooden board and balanced on it before using it as a ramp, he then walked back and ran down it and jumped toward the abandoned house.

"Is he always like this?" Ted asked the group.

"You have no idea," Estelle replied with a small sigh. "I've been with Akito ever since three minutes after he was born. I don't know what happened to him in those three minutes, but it had to be something inspiring."

"I think it might have been hearing all of Aunt Cherry, Mom, and Dad's stories." Vincent said.

The others soon followed after Akito much to Snow White's dismay. Ted still wondered about doing this as he looked at the trinkets his grandmother told him about and the snail even shook his head as if to say 'no', but he had to impress Audrey back home somehow and this was the only way to do it.

"Here we go." Akito said.

They soon came closer and closer until they found a sign with the word 'Once-Ler' on it. Ted rang the doorbell, only to see a pair of scissors cutting a string attached to a mallet to smash him with since he was a trespasser.

"Akito, giant mallet!" Felicity called out to her strong cousin.

"I can handle it." Akito smirked.

The mallet soon came crashing down only for Akito to catch it in the palm of his hand. He simply yawned with his free hand.

"Whoa..." Ted's eyes widened.

Soon enough, they finally became face-to-face with someone, though he stayed hidden from them and only his eyes were visible. "Who are you?" The stranger demanded. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"Are you the Once-Ler?" Estelle asked.

"Didn't you read the signs?!" The stranger glared slightly. "All of you, get out of here and leave me alone!"

"But we want to know how to get a tree and what happened to the trees!" Akito told him.

"Trees?" The stranger asked before he was about to summon a boot to literally kick them out.

"Yeah, real ones," Ted replied. "You know, that come out of the ground?"

The stranger paused for a moment as he seemed to have his mind elsewhere now.

"Hello?" Felicity asked.

"Sorry, it's just... I didn't think anyone still cared about trees." The Once-Ler replied.

"Why wouldn't they?" Estelle frowned.

"Yeah, that's us," Ted replied. "The guy and weird animals called Pokemon who still care. We're here."

The Once-Ler looked very guilty.

"What's wrong?" Vincent asked him.

"Do you want to know what happened to the trees?" The Once-Ler replied. "About what happened to them? Well, they're all gone. It's because of me."

"What?" Estelle asked. "But why did you cut them down?"

The Once-Ler sent down a megaphone which nearly hurt their ears and startled Snow White. "IT'S BECAUSE OF ME!!!" He shouted at first. "And my invention: The Thneed. It was an amazing product that could do the job of thousands."

"By any chance, did it have blades?" Felicity asked.

"Actually, it's this." The Once-Ler told her as he brought out a pink cloth.

"A pink cloth?" The kids asked.

"This is my Thneed." The Once-Ler told them. 

Ted soon looked up at a billboard and looked quite piqued. "Alright, sounds ridiculous, but I mean, that's cool."

"You're darn right it was cool," The Once-Ler replied as he was about to tell them a story. "It all started a long time ago--"

Akito and the others seemed interested in listening, but Ted was in a hurry.

"Can we start not so long ago?" Ted asked.

"Do you want a tree or not?" The Once-Ler glared.

"Yes, we do." Estelle nodded.

"Then it started a long time ago..." The Once-Ler then started his story.

This time, the kids all remained quiet.

"I was young man leaving home." The Once-Ler narrated his story into the past.

We are shown in the past with a Pokemon. 

"Well, Mom, I'm off to change the world with my Thneed!" A younger Once-Ler proudly announced to his mother as he was loaded up to go and was very excited. "I'm actually doing it!"

"Yes, but remember, Oncey, if your invention ends up a failure instead of a success," The Once-Ler's mother began before laughing. "Oh, it wouldn't surprise me at all!"

The Pokemon didn't seem to like how the mother was acting. The rest of the Once-Ler's family laughed, except for one. 

"I know you can do it." A blonde older teenage girl encouraged. 

The Once-Ler smiled to his younger sister. "Thanks, Heather."

"Hmm..." Heather hummed before getting an idea. "Mind if I come with?"

"If you'd like..." The Once-Ler smiled to his sister.

"Oh, sweetheart, you don't need to embarrass yourself like that." Isabella added.

Heather simply joined her brother. The duo's brothers made fun of them, but they ignored them and they were on their way.

"So, there I was at the very bottom with nothing but a mule, my sister, and a completely irrational sense in optimism," The Once-Ler narrated. "I was searching the globe, obsessed with find the perfect material for my Thneed. But I had absolutely no success... Until one day, I found paradise."

The mule smiled back to the siblings, but frowned as the Once-Ler had fallen asleep with his guitar in his hands. Heather saw what they found and saw why the mule was happy. The mule then made the Once-Ler wake up.

"We're gonna be there soon, I'm sure." The Once-Ler mumbled before he woke up in amazement with his sister.

"Oh, it's so wonderful and psychedelic here!" Heather beamed, speaking like a stereotypical nature loving hippie.

"You said it." The Once-Ler agreed.

"This is totally peaceful, man..." Heather replied as she knelt in the grass and bowed up and down to it like she was worshiping a god. 

The animals of the forest looked over curiously once they saw that they had company. 

"Far out!" Heather giggled as she looked at the animals. "Check out these critters."

"This place is perfect." The Once-Ler smiled.

There were three fish walking out of water and they appeared to do a pose as if to welcome the siblings before jumping back into the river to swim out of the grass. A couple of bear-like creatures were sitting under a tree and eating fruit. A bird flew out of its nest and started to fly with its flock.

"So peaceful." Heather smiled.

"You're right, Heather, this is it!" The Once-Ler smiled back to his sister before he began to sing. "This is it!, This is the place!, These Truffula Trees are just what I need, Gonna chop one down and make my Thneed~"

One little bear-like creature was about to touch the Once-Ler's guitar.

"Yes, chop one down, and--Wait, what?!" Heather asked.

"But first..." The Once-Ler smirked as he ran off, accidentally knocking down the little bear-like creature, and he jumped off and started humming his tune before dropping his guitar, almost hurting another. "Now, you." He then encouraged the animals to join in his song and dance.

"I have a bad feeling about this all of a sudden." Heather said.

"Ah, Heather, don't let those... Ya know... 'Bad vibes' get you down or whatever it is you say..." The Once-Ler told his sister. "This'll be good for everybody."

"I dunno," Heather pouted. "The little dudes looked bummed out about you being in their home."

"Oh, don't worry; I'm just going to chop down a tree or two." The Once-Ler said.

"Oh, my..." Heather wasn't sure if she liked this since the animals seemed to not accept their company, or at least, her brother's.

The Once-Ler began to sing as he was going to get to work to do what he wanted to do since he was a young boy with dreams despite the crushing from their mother and other family members, especially their aunt and uncle. 

The animals didn't like the Once-Ler and looked like they wanted to attack him for invading their home, but Heather did her best to comfort them since she was more or less of a moonchild and loved anything to do with the great outdoors, and where soon enough, the tree was chopped down. The animals were uncomfortable and horrified by The Once-Ler damaging their home and soon chased after him to attack him and he rushed back to his carriage to find a way to keep the animals away. One of the fish even used a mixer as a weapon.

"HA!" The Once-Ler smirked as he took something out only to see that it was two bags of marshmallows. "Oops..."

"Really?" Heather asked her brother.

"Heh..." The Once-Ler smiled nervously.

"You know I hate animal violence," Heather glared slightly. "Besides, put these back!"

"Hey, they're mine!" The Once-Ler glared back.

The two tugged and pulled on one bag which ripped it open and made the marshmallows scatter onto the ground and a cub soon came to eat one before falling in love with the taste and flavor.

"Oh, bummer, now look at what you've done." Heather groaned to her brother.

"Uh, you sure this is a bad thing?" The Once-Ler smiled nervously to his sister as the animals seemed to enjoy the marshmallows very much.

Heather looked with him and had to admit that this was actually a pretty good thing. 

"Hey, hey, wait a minute." Ted's voice interrupted which seemed to make young Once-Ler and his sister looked annoyed from the interruption.

"Excuse me?" The Once-Ler asked as his story had been interrupted.

"Yeah, that's awesome," Ted replied. "Feeding junk food to forest animals? That's great. But, uh, is there a musical number where you show us how to get a tree? Because, I'd love to hear that one."

"Seriously?" Felicity asked Ted.

"Oh, yes, about the tree..." The Once-Ler replied with a glare toward Ted for his interruptions. "Right after the musical number about the kid who kept interrupting the story and was never heard from again unlike the polite kids with their companions!"

"Ooh, I like that part." Vincent smirked.

"Erm... Right... Got it..." Ted replied nervously. "Proceed." 

The Pokemon seemed to smirk to Ted.

"Now, as you were." Akito said.

The Once-Ler then nodded and went back into his story.

"Alright, here we go," Young Once-Ler told his sister as he was ready now. "About to make a Thneed, about to change the world."

"Oh, I can't watch." Heather gulped.

The Once-Ler, without hesitation, began to chop the tree down. Heather came to the animals and shooed them so they wouldn't get hurt by her brother's perseverance, and where after a few chops, the tree came down. Little did he know, he unleashed a certain someone from the tree. And where this someone showed himself after a beam of light came out from the tree trunk. It was an orange fuzzy creature with blue eyes and yellow fur above his mouth which looked like a mustache.

"Little did I know that by chopping down that tree. I had just summoned a mystical creature as old as time itself," The Once-Ler narrated to the others. "The legendary, slightly annoying, guardian of the forest: The Lorax."

"Who are you?" Heather asked the Lorax.

"I am The Lorax," The creature told the hippie girl before glaring. "Did you chop down this tree?"

"No, my brother did," The Once-Ler replied as she looked around. "He must be around here somewhere," She soon found the Once-Ler about to chop down another tree. "Bro, stop!" she then begged.

"Hey, you!" The Lorax glared and came to confront The Once-Ler. "Did you chop down this tree?"

"Uh... No." The Once-Ler obviously lied.

"Who did it?" The Lorax asked, not believing him.

"Uh... What's that?!" The Once-Ler pointed away before dropping his axe on the cub. "I think he did it." He then blamed the cub when the Lorax turned back.

"Really?" Heather asked her brother, unimpressed.

"Hey, at least I didn't blame you." The Once-Ler glared slightly to his hippie dippy sister. 

"If you're not careful, you could lose me." Heather glared back in warning which would become true later within the story.

"Okay, okay." The Once-Ler said.

"Both of you, leave!" The Lorax soon had enough of them. "Vacate the premises! Take your axe and get out! I'm the Lorax: Guardian of the forest! I speak for the trees."

"We didn't mean to disturb you." Heather said.

The Once-Ler just blinked with a shrug like the Lorax was talking nonsense.

"Bro, when you chopped down the tree, you summoned him." Heather told her simpleton toward nature of a brother. 

"Ooh, can I see some of that?!" The Once-Ler beamed to the Lorax.

"Uh, yeah, I could show ya, but that's not how it works." The Lorax replied.

"Bro, we need to leave." Heather said.

"Oh, I know what this thing wants..." The Once-Ler smirked before reaching into his pocket and took out a marshmallow. I've got one of these for the cutest little guy I ever saw." He then cooed and babbled to the Lorax while Heather face-palmed him.

"How dare you! Give me that!" The Lorax glared at the Once-Ler before swiping the marshmallow and examined it since he had never seen one before. "I'm gonna eat this, but I'm gonna be highly offended by it." He then began to eat it just to get it over with.

"Wow." Heather said.

The Lorax soon finished the marshmallow. He then came to the Once-Ler's tent and kicked the string nail down to make it fall. Heather didn't seem to stop the tent from falling. The Once-Ler glared at the Lorax and then tried to pitch his tent back to the way it was only for the Lorax to continue, and where his sister joined in to help The Lorax.

"Heather!" The Once-Ler complained to his sister. 

"You're the one being a major bummer!" Heather retorted.

The Once-Ler didn't seem to stop even if his own sister was helping the Lorax.

The other animals watched this. The Once-Ler soon snapped and chased after the Lorax.

"Whoa, stop it, Bro!" Heather put her hand up as she soon picked up and held the Lorax like a baby. "You're harshing this little dude's buzz."

"But you two keep trying to get my tent to fall." The Once-Ler said.

"I think, like, we should go?" Heather suggested without noticing that a cub came to the tent. 

"I think I know what's best, Heather." The Once-Ler scoffed as he was about to hammer without noticing the cub in place of the tent pole.

"Bro, stop!" Heather told him.

"Stop right there!" The Lorax added. "Stop it! So, you would use a hammer on one of nature's innocent creatures?" he then asked, petting the innocent cub.

"What? I would never hit this little guy," The Once-Ler replied before glaring. "You, on the other hand, I would gladly pound you and your goat horns to the ground!"

"Behold! The intruders and their violent ways!" The Lorax told the animals of the forest. "Shame on you! For shame! But the other one is pretty and actually respects us."

"I'm always on the side of nature." Heather said.

"Alright, you know what?!" The Once-Ler glared at the Lorax and his sister. "That's it! You listen to me, you Mustache! I'm gonna chop down many trees as I need, okay? Newsflash! Not going anywhere!" He then stormed off to the house. "Heather, the door will be opened once you start making sense! End of story!"

"I'll meditate for you." Heather sighed to her brother, she did love him and believe in him, but sometimes, he just got too ridiculous.

The Lorax soon came to get back at the Once-Ler before the day would be through, but the night would be even bigger, and where Heather would join them. 

"Then you've left me no choice," The Lorax glared to the Once-Ler. "If you are not gone by the time the sun sets on this valley, all the forces of nature will be unleashed upon you and curse you until the end of your days! You have been warned!" He was then about to leave out the door, but the door was shut and he was far too short to reach the doorknob.

Heather helped him out with the door.

"Thanks," The Lorax told her before glaring at the Once-Ler. "You have been warned..." He then left and shut the door behind him.

Heather soon glared and folded her arms to her brother who smiled sheepishly with a shrug.

"But I didn't listen to his warning," The Once-Ler told the kids in present day. "And you won't believe what happened that night."

"They tried to get rid of you while you were sleeping?" Vincent guessed.

"If you wanna know more, come back tomorrow." The Once-Ler replied, though that was a correct guess.

"What?!" The others asked.

"If you wanna hear more, come back tomorrow." The Once-Ler replied, bringing his speaker horn up for the night.

"That's all you can tell us for now?" Akito asked.

"Yes." The Once-Ler replied.

"Are you serious right now?" Ted complained. "Ah, you live in the middle of nowhere! It stinks out here! Don't make us come back!"

"I guess you don't wanna hear the rest of the story." The Once-Ler scoffed.

"Yes, we do!" Estelle told him.

"Nah, none of you have what it takes," The Once-Ler huffed. "Goodbye."

"Wait, wait, we have what it takes!" Ted cried out.

The light then went out as the Once-Ler was going to go to bed now.

"We'll be back!" Akito told him.

"Come on, we better get back to Ted's house." Felicity suggested.

The Pokemon yawned, looking rather tired. The kids then returned their Pokemon back into their Pokeballs before carrying their pets in their arms and they made their way back. They all soon went to bed in a guest room given to them. The pets fell asleep by their masters while the Pokemon rested in their Pokeballs as the kids fell fast asleep due to a very big night out and meeting The Once-Ler, and where the next day, they would go to meet him yet again.


	4. Chapter 4

At breakfast, everyone had cereal which would be fine with everyone. Ted seemed to be lost in his own thoughts however and appeared to be making out with his box of cereal.

"Ahem." Akito cleared his throat.

"Ted?" Mrs. Wiggins called to her son, pulling him out of his daydream fantasy. "Ted, you're kissing the cereal again."

"Probably daydreaming about that girl he likes." Vincent smirked.

"What?! N-No, it's just that I like this cereal..." Ted stammered nervously once he came back into reality. "It's just that... I-I like this cereal... Which one is this? Yeah!" He then ate his breakfast rather quickly.

"Well, I'll make sure to buy extra next time for you." Mrs. Wiggins smirked to her son.

The Pokemon added in their own smirks. Scruffy suddenly looked uncomfortable and shook while whining.

"You okay, boy?" Akito asked. "You want some water?"

Scruffy shook his head and scratched against the door while whimpering.

"OH!" Akito gasped. "Okay, I got your leash right here!" he then went to hook the leash onto his dog to take him outside to go to the bathroom.

Once he opened the door, Scruffy rushed off to go to the bathroom.

"Stay, boy, heel!" Akito called out as he chased after his dog. 

"Uh, hey, I gotta run and do a thing," Ted nervously told his mother and grandmother. "We'll see you guys."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Mrs. Wiggins said as she pulled her son back. "You're not going anywhere, young man."

"Any reason why?" Felicity asked.

"It's Sunday. You know what that means?" Mrs. Wiggins asked. "Family time and we're all playing board games!"

"No!" Ted groaned.

Ted's grandmother looked to the others and winked to them as she had a plan for her grandson and his new friends to go off to see the Once-Ler again during the game. The others winked back. The family were playing Boggle with Ted bored out of his wits. Ted's grandmother tried to make her move, but she couldn't decide.

"Mom, seriously?" Mrs. Wiggins complained. "Every turn?"

"Hey, back off." Ted's grandmother told her daughter before pondering on purpose to annoy her daughter.

Akito knew exactly what Ted's Grandmother was doing.

"Family time is over," Mrs. Wiggins gave up and smiled innocently to the kids before looking annoyed. "It is now personal time. I'll be in my room."

"Okay, dear, have fun." Ted's grandmother told her daughter.

Mrs. Wiggins soon groaned and left.

"Helen was always a stubborn child." Ted's grandmother giggled to the guests as she pet the Pokemon.

"So, shall we?" Akito asked Ted.

Ted's grandmother smiled to them and encouraged them to get going. Ted nodded and then left with the others to see The Once-Ler again.

However, this time, as they were on their way, they were stopped by big and strong guards and a limo came up.

"Hey! Ted, right?" Mayor O'Hare smiled after he seemed to write something down.

"Is there a reason why your guards stopped us, sir?" Vincent asked.

"So, I hear you're all interested in trees," Mayor O'Hare smirked. "What's that all about?"

"We just want to know what happened to them." Estelle said.

"Wait a sec, where did you hear that?" Akito asked suspiciously.

"Kids, I know you're new in town, but there's not much that goes on in Thneedville that I don't know about," Mayor O'Hare laughed before looking deathly serious with a sharp glare. "Here's the deal. I make a living selling fresh air to people. Trees? "They make it for free. So when I hear people talking about them, I consider it a threat to my business."

"So, you basically just don't care about nature at all?" Vincent assumed.

"Besides, we don't even know what you're talking about." Ted lied.

"You all better listen to me, brats," Mayor O'Hare glared. "Don't go poking around in things you don't understand! Or I'll be your worst nightmare. I'M FRANKENSTEIN'S HEAD ON A SPIDER'S BODY!"

"And that's threatening?" Estelle asked.

"Uh... Listen, my mom's expecting us..." Ted said uneasily, but not scared of the mayor. "So, were all just going to--"

"Of course, of course," Mayor O'Hare laughed. "Now go back to your family game, Grammy just finished her turn."

"Do you have security cameras everywhere?" Akito asked him.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do." Mayor O'Hare replied as he showed cameras on a baby billboard and a cat in a dumpster.

"That's not creepy." Felicity deadpanned, sounding a lot like her mother.

"Yeah, not creepy at all." Estelle added.

"You've got a beautiful town here, Ted," Mayor O'Hare smirked before fiendishly glaring. "Lots of stuff to occupy your short attention span. Why, I can't think of any reason that you and your new friends would ever want to go outside of town again. Ever." 

The pets and Pokemon glared to the mayor as they didn't like him at all.

"Mayor, were you here when the trees were cut down?" Estelle asked.

"Why, of course I was," Mayor O'Hare replied. "When The Once-Ler lost his reputation with his Thneed, I was just a lowly janitor and was a kid just like you, we all wondered what the next big idea would be, and then I had it. Bottled air! If it's in a bottle, people will buy~"

"Uh, that's nice?" Estelle said out of confusion.

"Okay, good talk, really good talk!" Mayor O'Hare grinned and waved to them as they went off before he glared to his bodyguards on the way into his limo.

"We'll wait until he leaves." Akito whispered to the others.

The others nodded. Mayor O'Hare was soon in his limo and his bodyguards joined him and they drove off.

"Phew!" Akito wiped his forehead and then came with the others so they could once again see The Once-Ler.

Unknown to them, a secret camera saw them going off to see the Once-Ler again. Ted came to the front door and rang the doorbell. The mallet then came out which made Ted jump out of the way, but Akito stopped it again.

"You should really change that doorbell." Akito smirked to the Once-Ler.

"You're one brave and strong boy." The Once-Ler said.

"Thanks, I take after my dad," Akito smiled. "Anyways, we're back for the rest of the story."

"I'm surprised you all actually came back," The Once-Ler told them. "Unlike those other kids who would rather be out break-dancing, wearing bell bottoms, or playing the Donkey Kong."

"Well, we care about nature," Estelle said. "Unlike the Mayor."

"Hmm..." The Once-Ler hummed to that.

"Yeah, I just thought... I just thought, you know, it'd be kinda cool to have a tree." Ted replied nervously.

"It's a girl, isn't it?" The Once-Ler asked like he knew what Ted was really thinking.

"What?! Pfft... No!" Ted lied.

"Sure." The others smirked.

"Well, when a guy does something stupid once, that's because he's a guy, but if he does the same stupid thing twice, that's usually to impress some girl." The Once-Ler agreed.

"Hey, she's not just some girl!" Ted glared as he crossed his arms. "She's a woman, in high school!"

"You realize you just admitted you were doing this for a girl, right?" Akito smirked at Ted.

"You're not helping me!" Ted glared.

"Hey, just being honest." Akito replied with a smirk.

Even the pets and Pokemon smirked to Ted since he clearly had a crush on Audrey.

"So, mind continuing your story?" Estelle asked the Once-Ler.

"All right... Where did we leave off?" The Once-Ler paused to think.

"I think it was where you were about to tell us what happened on the first night." Vincent said.

"Ah, yes." The Once-Ler remembered.


	5. Chapter 5

Back in the story within the story...

Heather smiled as she slept outside to be with the animals of the forest, though she felt as though the Lorax and the animals were going to do something. One fish saw a firefly while it lazed in the water with the other fish before eating the firefly which made its eyes glow and spooked the other fish.

The Once-Ler was inside, sewing up his Thneed to show to the world first thing tomorrow. After finishing it, he went to sleep. As soon as he fell asleep, his bed was being moved by the bear-like creatures.

"Thanks, Barbaloots." Heather whispered as she felt her brother deserved this.

The Barbaloots gave Heather a good thumb's up. They tried to get the bed through the door, but it wouldn't work. Heather then opened the window and suggested for the animals to go through there instead and it worked. 

"Thank you, that was driving me crazy." The Lorax said to the hippie.

"You're welcome." Heather smiled.

The mule came up behind the Lorax with an accusatory look, but the guardian of the forest kept him quiet by giving him a fruit. The fish soon hummed the Mission Impossible theme as the Lorax led them to the river.

"Nice." Heather said.

The Barbaloots followed the Lorax down to the river with the Once-Ler's bed in their paws. The biggest one though was slowly behind due to how big and out of shape he was in. 

"Okay, nice and easy." The Lorax told the Barbaloots as they handed the bed to the fish.

Heather began to pray that the animals would be successful. "Go with your ways, you wonderful souls of nature~" she then said in her stoner tone of voice due to being a hippie.

The Once-Ler snored as he drifted in the water.

"Nice work, you guys," The Lorax smiled proudly to the animals. "Couldn't have done it without ya."

"I feel like we're missing one little dude though." Heather looked perplexed before she soon saw why she felt that way.

The tiniest Barbaloot smiled and waved to the others as he sat on the Once-Ler's bed while it drifted through the water.

"Ya gotta be kidding me..." The Lorax groaned. "Can he swim?"

One of the Barbaloots shook their head to mean 'no'.

"Of course he can't swim!" The Lorax yelped. "Hang on, Pipsqueak, I'm comin' to getcha!"

"And quickly!" Heather yelped.

The Barbaloots ran through the field while the fish swam in the flowing river.

"Hang on, little dude, I'm coming!" Heather told Pipsqueak. "Fish brothers, stop the bed!"

The fish then tried to grab a hold of the bed only to grab the comforter and pulled it off into the water, making the Once-Ler freeze since he was now cold without a blanket before he grabbed and hugged Pipsqueak like a teddy bear.

"Um, nice try." Heather said.

"Jump! Jump!" The Lorax told the Barbaloots to go up to the tree.

One Barbaloot bounced two others at the top of the tree while sitting upside down by the tree. The Barbaloots all came onto the tree, but they were too light to bring the tree down for Pipsqueak to reach into safety.

"Now what?" The Lorax wondered before finding one other Barbaloot stuffing his face with The Once-Ler's marshmallows.

"And this is why feeding the wild animals food like marshmallows is a bad thing." Heather said.

"Oh, he's always been like this, but I think he might be the extra weight we need." The Lorax told her.

The chubby Barbaloot shook his head as he didn't want to do this, but he had no choice and the tree was then weighed down without snapping and breaking. The Lorax then dangled at the end of the Barbaloots and reached out for the cub as he looked oblivious and innocent to everything around him. Pipsqueak reached out, but he was actually getting fruit and didn't go with the Lorax that time.

"Aw, bogus!" Heather complained.

The Lorax even face-palmed. The Once-Ler began to toss and turn as the water was taking the bed to a dangerous waterfall.

"Oh, that's bad." The Lorax said nervously.

Pipsqueak began to panic and the fish were no help as they hummed The Funeral March for him. Heather hummed firmly back at the fish as that wasn't helping. Pipsqueak panicked and ran to the end of the bed which spun it around in the water over and over. The Once-Ler soon coughed and woke up as he soon saw that he was in the water. 

"W-What's happening?!" He panicked instantly. "Where am I?!"

"Hey!" The Lorax called out to the Once-Ler. "You got trouble and it's coming up fast!"

"Yeah, and it's not friendly!" Heather added in.

The Once-Ler looked to them before gasping in horror to see an upcoming dangerous waterfall.

"Come on, guys, we gotta try to hurry up." Heather told The Lorax and the animals.

The Once-Ler panicked once he saw his predicament. "Heather, I can't believe you would help them try to drown me!" he then glared at his sister. "I thought you were my best friend!"

"We didn't mean for this to happen!" Heather told him.

"She's right!" The Lorax nervously agreed as he didn't intend for the prank to go this far.

"But don't worry, we'll get you out of this danger." Heather promised.

"Oh, you better!" The Once-Ler told his sister, both out of anger and fear as he was going for a dangerous ride on his bed.

The Once-Ler and Pipsqueak were soon in a safer part and smiled to each other in relief, but that was just the beginning as they were now close to the edge of the waterfall, much to their unfortunate doom. 

"Just do something!" The Once-Ler begged as he tried to use his pillow to paddle away from the waterfall only for that to not obviously work.

Heather began to think of a plan.

"Help is on the way!" The Lorax told the Once-Ler.

"Do you have a branch?" Heather asked the Lorax after she looked up to a mountain with a boulder.

"Yeah, why?" The Lorax asked.

"I totally gotta borrow one." Heather replied.

The Lorax came to a branch and held her one.

Heather took it and ran. "I'm comin'!" she then told her brother before pushing the boulder with the branch with all her might and it rolled down the mountain and hill.

The Once-Ler yelped and panicked as he thought he was going to be crushed by the boulder, but it landed on the bed, springing both him and Pipsqueak off of the bed and they landed onto the safe ground away from the waterfall.

"Whew." Heather sighed.

The others soon came to see the estranged man and the Barbaloot cub. Heather soon checked on both of them.

"Oh, no!" The Lorax panicked as he came to check over the Once-Ler as he was knocked out and not moving, thinking he was probably dead right now.

"Quick, shock him awake." Heather suggested.

The Lorax took two Barbaloots and rubbed them together by static electricity and pressed them against the girl's brother's chest. "CLEAR!"

The Once-Ler suddenly thumped and sat up. "Oh... Oh!" he smiled in relief to see that he was alive. "I was heading into the light, and you pulled me right back, and here I am!" he then picked up the Lorax and hugged him. "You saved my life!"

"Yep, he sure did." Heather smiled.

"Yeah, I know," The Lorax replied. "Well, no, it's not that big a deal."

"It is a big deal!" The Once-Ler beamed to him. "Look, I almost went over the waterfall!" He then suddenly grew suspicious. "Wait... On my bed... How did my bed get in the river?"

"Uh...." Heather stuttered.

"Actually... I put your bed in the water." The Lorax admitted.

The Once-Ler then dropped him with a look of hatred in his eyes.

"I didn't mean you any harm," The Lorax told the man. "I just wanted you to calmly float away, your sister thought it would be a good idea to teach you a lesson."

"Brother, I know that you need the trees for your invention, but the forest needs trees," Heather told her brother. "And you're just chopping them down!"

"So, we've got a big problem." The Lorax added.

"Please don't chop down any more trees." Heather begged her brother.

Pipsqueak came toward the Once-Ler and tugged on his pant leg with an adorably irresistible face. 

"All right, look..." The Once-Ler sighed. "I hereby swear that I will never chop down another tree. I promise."

"Thank you," The Lorax replied. "But I'm gonna keep my eye on you."

"Same here." Heather said.

"Good," The Once-Ler replied. "Now, I've got a big day tomorrow, so I'm going to get some sleep," he then walked off before walking back around from the animals and his sister. "Right after I find my bed."

"Oh, right." Heather said.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning...

Heather smiled in her sleep until she woke up to hear a rooster crow, but it was actually the fish before she began to look confused and puzzled. The fish smiled down to her from the tree. 

"You guys are nuts." Heather giggled to the fish.

The fish smiled as they were successful in making her laugh.

Heather looked around for the guardian of the forest. "Huh... I wonder where that Lorax dude is?"

The Once-Ler's alarm clock went off before he turned it off with a groan. He then turned around to see The Lorax in bed with him which made them both scream and the Lorax then punched The Once-Ler in the mouth.

"There's my answer." Heather sighed once she realized where The Lorax was since her brother was disturbed.

"Ow! Okay... What are you--" The Once-Ler glared as he rubbed his nose before he took a look around to see the other animals of the forest also here. "Question, what are they doing here? And follow up: If I may, what are you doing here?" 

"Well, after the incident last night, we found one of your socks and came here to return it," The Lorax chuckled sheepishly. "But when we got here, you were asleep."

The Once-Ler winced as he looked up to see a Barbaloot sleeping high above him and drooling.

"Aw." Heather smiled to that.

"Ew!" The Once-Ler winced from the drool. 

"So cute~" Heather cooed to the Barbaloot, though hid a small smirk since it drooled on her brother.

"Ha ha, very funny." The Once-Ler groaned to his sister.

Heather giggled.

"Anyway, sleep is the body's way of telling people to go away." The Once-Ler glared to the Lorax.

"I know," The Lorax replied. "But you looked so cozy, and it was cold outside, and we just fell asleep. No harm done."

"'No harm done'?" The Once-Ler replied with a scoff. "'No harm done'?! Ugh... Okay..." He then decided to get ready for the day and did his best to ignore the animals, though it wasn't easy since they used his stuff for other things.

Heather found this amusing.

The Once-Ler tried to get his things back from the animals, though didn't have much luck. The fish bathed in the cups and a bird hatched an egg into a bowl, the Lorax even brushed his mustache with the Once-Ler's toothbrush. "Okay, that's it!" he snapped once he couldn't take it anymore.

"Now, just stay calm." Heather told her brother.

"What?" The Lorax asked as he opened the fridge. "I thought we made a deal last night."

"Yes, we did," The Once-Ler glared. "And I said I wouldn't chop down any more trees."

"And I said I was gonna keep an eye on you," The Lorax glared back. "I'm starving, what's for breakfast?" He then opened the fridge only to see the biggest Barbaloot lounging inside and eating the butter and nearly everything else in the fridge.

"And this is why animals should not be in the fridge..." Heather sighed to the Barbaloot.

"Heh... Breakfast is overrated." The Lorax smiled nervously to The Once-Ler.

The Once-Ler growled as he looked like he was going to yell until he soon tried to calm himself down. "You know what? I got work to do... Yeah..." he then smiled nervously and uneasily before changing his clothes. "I gotta go into town and sell my Thneed!" He then showed the pink cloth he used from the top of the tree he chopped down yesterday.

"Good luck." Heather said.

"You're coming with me, Heather, you promised." The Once-Ler told his sister.

"What?!" Heather pouted. 

"You chopped down one of my trees for that piece of garbage?" The Lorax asked about the Thneed before laughing.

"It's pretty." Heather replied.

"It has a million uses," The Once-Ler smiled as he then began to demonstrate. "Look at this! It's a swimsuit! Oh, mud tracked over your floor by uninvited guests? Well, the Thneed sure comes in handy for that! But wait, there's more! Thanks to its all-natural microfibers, the Thneed is super-absorbent! It also works as a hat! Of course, you probably wanna wring it out first."

"Ah, go ahead, knock yourself out!" The Lorax scoffed. "But nobody is gonna buy that thing!"

"You never know." Heather said.

"Don't worry, Heather," The Once-Ler told his sister as he grabbed his guitar. "He fortunately is not the target market."

"You're bringing a guitar?" The Lorax asked.

"Oh, yeah, I got a little jingle," The Once-Ler smirked. "I'm gonna blow some minds! Sell some Thneeds!"

"I have a feeling this will not be easy." Heather said.

In town...

The Once-Ler began to play his guitar to attract a crowd while Heather sat on a bench to meet a new friend. 

"Hello there, I'm Norma," The brunette girl smiled. "You're new in town, huh?"

"Yeah, I am," Heather replied. "Just trying to help out my brother go on his very own spiritual journey to become unique and one with himself since no one else in our family will help him."

"That's very kind of you." Norma smiled.

"Thanks, Norma," Heather smiled back. "Man, you're a retro friend so far."

Norma and Heather soon shared a friendly hug. Unfortunately, the Once-Ler wasn't having luck with selling his Thneed.

"Unfortunately, I didn't sell it the first day." The Once-Ler told the kids.

"What about on the second day?" Estelle asked.

"Nor that..." The Once-Ler replied. "Or the third, or fourth, or fifth day. Until finally..."

"That's it!" The Once-Ler snapped to the crowd in the story after a little girl broke his guitar and even a nun was in line to beat him up for wasting their time due to disinterest. "You know what? I'm done with this thing!"

"Aww..." The crowd awed as they were going to miss making fun of him like his family back home.

"My family was right! I quit!" The Once-Ler snapped as he took the Thneed and threw it against Heather as she sat on a bench.

Heather grunted and tried to get the Thneed off her head until she saw a brown-haired cool boy who looked intrigued by her.

"Hey, cool hat~" The boy smirked to her while lowering his sunglasses.

Heather soon found this the opportunity her brother was looking for.

"Oh, my gosh, I totally want one!" Norma smiled to the Thneed on Heather's head as it looked cute as a hat.

"That thing makes me like you more." Another girl added as she took a picture from her camera. 

Heather giggled innocently. "Thanks, it's called a Thneed," She then told them all. "My brother invented it."

And where suddenly, everybody wanted one. Heather beamed as she had hoped that would work and she knew that it would make her brother really happy. The Once-Ler soon came back into the forest as The Lorax was playing cards with a bird, a fish, and Pipsqueak. He soon heard Heather coming.

"Hey, Heather." The Once-Ler sulked. 

"Peace to you, my city boy of a brother." Heather smiled before she hugged him, wearing the Thneed on her head.

"Get that thing off your head before someone sees you." The Once-Ler told her, not knowing it had become a huge hit after he left town.

"But these have become a huge hit." Heather smiled.

"What?!" The Once-Ler asked. "No way, you're pulling my leg!"

"I'll show you." Heather replied.

"Okay, you can show me, right after breakfast." The Once-Ler smirked as he decided to make pancakes.

"Okay." Heather said.

The Once-Ler made pancakes for everybody. The animals ate much more and even wanted ninths and there was suddenly a rumbling. They rushed outside to see what it was and it was the townspeople who were actually praising and singing about the Thneed which proved that the Once-Ler's invention became a success.

"See?" Heather smiled to her brother.

People soon came up to the Once-Ler with money in their hands to buy Thneeds.

"Oh, yeah!" The Once-Ler beamed. "We're in business, baby!"

"Uh-oh, this is bad." Heather whispered to herself as she knew what this meant.

"Mom? Hey, it's me!" The Once-Ler smiled as he soon called his and Heather's mother. "Heather and I told you I was gonna be a success! You need to bring the whole family here right now, we're gonna be rich!"

Heather and the Lorax narrowed their eyes.

"What?" The Once-Ler asked them. "I'm gonna need all the help I can get. Don't worry."

"And that's how I first became successful." The Once-Ler told the kids as he concluded for tonight and would tell more the very next day.

"Wow." Akito said.

"So is the story over for tonight?" Akito pouted with Scruffy.

"I'm afraid so," The Once-Ler replied. "I shall tell you more tomorrow."

"Okay, sir, we understand," Estelle said before standing up with Dot and Teddy. "Thanks so much for the story."

"Yeah, thanks." Vincent added as he collected Snow White and Vulpix.

The Once-Ler waved to them and let them go. Everyone then went home until the next night.


End file.
